Skelion plugin gives Sketchup the possibility to insert solar panels very fast and make fast renewable solar energy studies.A new free and commercial version have been released. Skelion 5.1.9 (Oct. 2015).Shadows projection and one and two axis solar tracking.

Automatic Shadows projections:

Insert components in non planar surafaces It can be used to curved sheds and ground mount systems:

Curved surface

Solar modules inserted in curved surface

3D mesh

Adaptation of Ground mount system to a 3D mesh, all solar components with same orientation.

So when I unpack the skelion.zip file the the script files have file extension rbs not rbz consequently the files are not recognized as Ruby scripts by Sketchup. When I change the file extension to rbz sketchup recognizes the file but is unable to install it referring me to the installation instructions which are

Read this: viewtopic.php?p=315127#p315127which is the best guide to extracting and installing the contents of a .ZIP archive.The .RB/.RBS file-types within a .ZIP or the extracted folder[s] are equivalent in their operation - it's just that you can't 'read' a .RBS file as it's been 'compiled'.

IF one day you should download a .RBZ you can install it in v8M2Pro via the menu item Window > Preferences > Extension > 'install archive' button...IF you are brave enough to rename a .ZIP file suffix to .RBZ file you can then install it that way too.Conversely if you have a .RBZ file you can make it into a .ZIP file by changing its suffix, and using the methods outlined for that archive type in the above link...

I really like this plugin for SketchUp, had I'd known about it from the very beginning it would have helped me produce models quicker and easier.

Anyway, my main question regarding the plugin is how do I get it to maximise the full area when laying down solar panels? For example, I put a 16" offset from the edge of a residential roof. After selecting the now smaller area and when I have plugged in the tilt/azimuth, etc., the panels don't take up all the space available. They seem to work from the middle > out. I had to move them to one side to add an additional 2 rows within the same space.

Is this just in the free version or is it deliberately set up like this?

Please, send the model or an image please. Plugin insert panels in rows, from down to the top, and centering panels of each row from borders.Actually not maximize space in vertical. User must sometimes modify rows. May be in a future it will be improved.

Thanks for your post. Some people have problems understanding how to insert panels. So I think it's necessary make a video to teach how to insert solar panels, co-planar or with some tilt, over the roof.With the plugin you can insert panels like you want, but it's necessary understand the concept of azimuth and tilt relative. This concept it's a bit dark...Selecting an edge and a face, and using the rights azimuth and tilt relative you can insert the panels in many ways.We'll try to make a video...

Oddly, a friend asked me yesterday if I could draw up some solar panels on his house.and the mac version arrives...

however, I only get one grey button, with no functionality, and no errors in ruby console.

As I can't see the script, I can't see what paths are expected.

Sketchup installed [via the rbz] into my ~/Library/ path, not not the normal HD/Library path.The html for the license and one blank toolbar is all I got... Possibly a paths issue.does it have any dependencies? or require statements?

john

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learn from the mistakes of others, you may not live long enough to make them all yourself...

With normal users, and stored in normal path of a MAC, ir works. "Library/Application Support/Google Sketchup 8/Sketchup/plugins/"May be is related with uppercase "Plugins" "plugins" or the place you are storing files....

@Juantxo: Avoid using Sketchup.find_support_file to determine the path for your plugin - it might not be in the default SketchUp folder at all. Some times OSX users place then in their User folder - and some users place their plugins in a shared folder elsewhere.

Instead use the __FILE__ constant that returns the name and path of the current file.

Hampson wrote:Anyway, my main question regarding the plugin is how do I get it to maximise the full area when laying down solar panels?...

One of the features you should consider adding is a roof edge spacing, as in, I want to calculate the amount of PV on this roof, here is the panel, here is the tilt, I want to remain 18" from the edges as per best practices. It would make it easier to calculate the maximum PV given a certain roof shape.